Some schools conduct finals at the end of the year. But at the Kamehameha Schools Hawaii campus, 11th-graders swim, bike a cool six miles, run and sweat.
It’s the yearly “super sprint” triathlon, a culminating physical fitness event for juniors, modeled after Hawaii Island’s Ironman triathlon. Distances don’t quite match the Ironman, but they’re still no easy feat.
On Tuesday, roughly 140 11th-grade triathletes swam 400 meters, biked 10 kilometers and then ran an additional 2.5 kilometers, covering more than 8 miles in all.
“It felt great,” said student Alton Penrose, 16, minutes after crossing the finish line and learning he beat his personal goal time by roughly 10 minutes. “I’ve been training this year, and for me, training helps. It’s about setting goals, setting the pace and knowing what to strive for. I’m pretty satisfied.”
School officials say the Keaau campus is among few schools in the country — and the only Kamehameha campus — with a triathlon graduation requirement.
The idea started several years ago as a way to encourage students to set goals and stay healthy and fit, particularly as obesity rates nationwide remain high. Hawaii has one of the lowest obesity rates in the country — 2014 statistics showed about 22 percent of Hawaii adults were obese — but rates vary drastically among ethnicities.
One 2011 report showed Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were nearly four times more likely to be obese than the overall Asian-American population, and 30 percent more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites. Nearly 35 percent of Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were considered obese, compared with 26.2 percent of non-Hispanic whites.
“Health issues of Native Hawaiians are kind of at the forefront,” said Shaun Chillingworth, Kamehameha spokesman. “So (this is) equipping (students) with those skills and helping them combat those issues and hopefully continue those (healthy) behaviors.”
Kamehameha students Jackson Coutey and Kauahone Kane-Kalua, both 17, said they weren’t nervous — rather, well-prepared — on Tuesday, as they adjusted their goggles and tugged on swim caps before their swim heat began.
Preparation for the triathlon actually starts in the ninth grade, when students begin training for a culminating freshman 5-mile run. Sophomore year, they train for a biathlon, and junior year, students spend the months leading up to the triathlon training for each heat during PE class.
“The triathlon gives us more insight on ways to be healthy, and ways to fit an hour of activity in every day,” Coutey said. “Just ways to stay on our feet, stay in shape and be healthier people.”
Successfully completing the triathlon accounts for 20 percent of the final semester PE grade. Kamehameha officials said they encourage other schools with the resources to consider adding something similar.
“I think (preparing for the triathlon) helps students focus more,” said Nicole Holbrook, triathlon director and a Kamehameha physical education instructor. “Research shows students can focus more when they’re physically active, so it’s a big part of this school. And everyone needs to learn to stay healthy. If you’re not healthy, you don’t achieve much in life.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com
